With Anze Kopitar retired, Peter Laviolette the coach and Drew Doughty the captain, it's a new era for the L.A. Kings, but will it lead to playoff success?
Peter Laviolette will make his debut behind the bench for the Los Angeles Kings in Wednesday's season opener against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. Laviolette takes over an aging Kings team seeking to transition from a defense-first system to an aggressive attack after scoring declined for four straight seasons, finishing with just 225 goals in 2025-26.
The Kings enter the season without Anze Kopitar for the first time in 20 years, alongside the departures of Andrei Kuzmenko, Jeff Malott, and the retired Trevor Lewis. Forward Kevin Fiala is expected to miss at least two months following a leg injury setback, leaving Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin to help lead the offense.
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